week/end happenings

i've had a lot on my mind/heart this week, but kyle and i did manage to have some fun and relax this weekend.

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kyle bought some really good stuff at william sonoma from their holiday clearance -- this being one of them. mulled wine syrup. you just put some in a saucepan with some red wine and heat up. pour into a mug and enjoy. :) we had this while we watched "love, actually" and thought about our family and friends.

"love actually is all around."

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on friday, we had a dinner party to go to, and i planned to make a dessert. this gave us an excuse to go to fresh market for ingredients. it's very expensive there, so we can't go there all the time -- but they have wonderful stuff, so it's worth the extra dough sometimes.

these are the beautiful orchids they have for sale there. i love orchids, but i'm notorious for killing them. bummer.

i decided to make an apple, pear and cranberry crisp for the dessert, courtesy ina garten from food network.

yummy! it turned out really good, actually. warm, crispy, crumbly, fruity, sweet -- the perfect "we stayed up too late last night" saturday morning breakfast. you know what i'm talking about.

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one of my new favorite things -- whisky stones. my mom bought these for me when she was in town, and they are won.der.ful. they are little square rocks, basically, that you put in the freezer. they keep your whisky (or whatever drink you're drinkin') cold, without diluting it. so. clever. so we tried them out this weekend at the dinner party we went to. they really work! although, they are probably meant for a smaller glass than a red solo cup. oops.

and while we're talking about whisky (which i love), i made some hot toddies for kyle and me this evening after we got back from the movies and dinner. it's so cold down here (even if it is georgia), so we wanted something hot to warm us up after walking around downtown. i read on one of my bf's sister's blog how to make one to cure a cold -- but i just made one for curling up on the couch and surfing the internet while wearing a hoodie, sweatpants and slippers. ;) i used honey, hot tea, orange and jack daniels -- not exactly the same as jessica's, but definitely delicious. :)

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and here he is -- the man who has kept me going through some of the hardest times of my life and when everything was happening so fast and all at once that i feel like giving up. there are so many difficult and confusing things going on right now, and even though we don't understand them or know exactly what to do, somehow it's easier with him by my side.

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i hope everyone is doing well. a lot is going on -- a lot that i'm having a hard time understanding. keep us in your prayers/positive thoughts. we need it, my family needs it, and some very special people we know need it.

loveisallyouneed,

krq.